Tales of the goings on at Hollyford Pottery, near the tiny village of Stockleigh English in Devon, England

Thursday, 24 November 2011

Here we go again.

I've been working a long day today. Marky Mark came by and we worked into the evening. I know I need to start keeping sensible hours again, but I'm anxious to get some wet pots on the shelves. Getting started is always difficult, but it's easier this time, coming off the back of three great firings and a successful show. The show is still open until Sunday.

I started this batch of pots, with making my favorite things, six 8lb jugs. It's good to get the cycle going again. Although they're similar in form, I haven't tried to make them the same. They'll get handles tomorrow, then they'll be decorated using a variety decorative techniques, adopting whichever suits the curves of the particular pot the best. I'm excited about the pots I'm going to be making in the forthcoming weeks, I've got lots of ideas I want to try.

A big thank to my friend James, who shot this film at my show at the weekend. He asked me to apologize for it's shaky nature as it was his first iphone film, but I don't think he needs to do so, it's great record for me, of how it was on the day.

8 comments:

My kiln is cooling and I'm already starting to think about the next wet pots. It's good to see you get right back on the wheel after such an intense cycle of making and exhibiting. The exhibition looks fab...no surprise!

Styles of pottery clearly have what the French might call “terroir” something unique that is a symphony of qualities directly linked to the area. Slipware is clearly that with the local clay, the vernacular and characteristics of the people (think wassail cups and cider) and the climate. If that is the case could slipware as we might know it be really made anywhere else? Are we not influenced by our own local terroir that unconsciously means we develop something else? Somebody said imitation is the greatest form of flattery. If we don’t live where slipware is from are we just imitating it?